The invention relates to a radio telephone sometimes termed a radio handset and more particularly to a compact radio handset.
There is a general drive in the field of mobile telephony to produce more compact telephone arrangements particularly for ease of transportation. There is, however, a conflicting, mainly psychological, requirement for a telephone to bridge the gap between the users ear and mouth to approximate the feel of using of a radio handset to that of a traditional landline telephone.
One of the ways in which this has been achieved is by providing a hinged flap attached to the main body of the telephone that is pivoted to a position in which it overlaps the main body when stowed but extends the overall length of the phone when in use. One example of such a phone is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,772.
Such phones do, however, tend to be relatively flimsy and prone to damage especially when the flap is open since it is then extremely prone to accidental knocks or other rough treatment. The hinged flap also presents the difficulty of implementing a reliable conductive path from the microphone to the main body of the telephone across the hinge.
Another arrangement that overcomes some of the disadvantages inherent with a hinged flap is described in EP 0 414 365. The compact telephone or handset described in this patent comprises a main body and a cover portion arranged for longitudinal sliding movement relative to the main body. In the retracted position the phone is compact and easy to store. In the extended position the phone is dimensioned such that it comfortably bridges the gap between the user""s ear and mouth. The design is both compact and relatively robust.
In the handset described in EP 0 414 365 the connection enabling the call answer/send mode is only made when the cover portion is in its fully extended position. Hence the handset can only be used for making or answering a call when the cover is in its fully extended position. The action of closing the sleeve terminates a call, regardless of whether it is incoming or outgoing.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a radio handset comprising a housing having user input means and a processor operable to perform a predetermined function in response to user input of a predefined actuation signal, wherein the processor is operable to delay performance of the predetermined function for a period during which user generation of a predefined cancellation signal cancels performance of the predetermined function.
By providing a period of delay between the initiation and performance of a function, the user is provided with the opportunity to cancel performance of the function by provision of a predefined cancellation signal. The present invention allows for this opportunity to be realised.
Suitably the housing provides the user input means and comprises a key pad including a plurality of keys mounted on a main body and an extending portion mounted for movement between a first position in which a group of the plurality of keys are concealed and a second position in which the group of the plurality of keys are exposed, and wherein the processor is operable to perform the predetermined function in response to movement of the extending portion.
The predetermined function preferably comprises placing the handset in the off-hook condition for receiving an incoming call.
One desirable option for a radio telephone is that moving the extending portion from the closed position serves to answer an incoming call as the user will likely wish to extend the handset in order to participate in a conversation. By enabling this movement to provide the additional function of answering the call allows the user to avoid performing an additional function to answer the call once the handset has been made physically ready for communication with another party. However, there is a problem. Often, extending the phone will be an automatic or reflex response, and if this action automatically answers a call the user may answer a call on reflection he/she would rather have left unanswered. Embodiments of the present invention provide the means by which an additional operation performed by the user in a predetermined delay period, can cancel the function initiated by movement of the extending portion.
If in the period of delay, the user reads calling line identification information on the screen, the user can cancel the receipt of an incoming call from an unwanted or inconvenient caller.
Suitably movement of the extending portion from the first position causes the handset to be placed in the off-hook condition for answering calls and movement of the extending portion to the first position causes the handset to be placed in the on-hook condition for terminating calls.
Preferably actuation of one of the plurality of keys or movement of the extending portion to the first position cancels performance of the predetermined function. A simple actuation of a key, or movement of the extending portion can accordingly cancel initiation of the off-hook condition for answering a call.
Suitably the extending portion is mounted for longitudinal slidable movement between the first and second positions and the processor means is operable to perform the predetermined functions corresponding to sequences of actuations of exposed ones of the plurality of keys for a range of positions of the extending portion. This enables exposed keys to be utilised for cancelling the function.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a radio handset comprising a housing having a key pad including a plurality of keys mounted on a main body and an extending portion mounted for movement between a first position in which a group of the plurality of keys are concealed and a second position in which the group of the plurality of keys are exposed, and a processor operable to perform a predetermined function in response to movement of the extending portion, wherein the processor is operable to delay performance of the predetermined function for a period during which generation of a predefined cancellation signal cancels performance of the predetermined function.